Many common carriers, such as passenger airlines, bus lines, and train lines, include premium seats that offer a variety of seat positions from the most upright to a full flat or lie flat bed position. In an upright position, a bottom cushion of the seat is typically positioned at a height of approximately 15 to 19 inches from a vehicle floor. When the seat is transitioned to the bed position, the bottom cushion is still approximately 15 to 19 inches from the vehicle floor or slightly lower.
Because these seats are often placed in rows of at least two seats, an access path must be provided for passengers seated in a non-aisle seat. Conventionally, the access path is provided by leaving access space between the seat and the next forward seat when the seat is in the full flat or lie flat bed position. As a result, a greater distance between seats is required, thus reducing the total number of seats that may be placed in a vehicle cabin. As a result, it may be desirable to provide a seat with a full flat or lie flat bed position that does not require additional access space between the seat and the next forward seat.